Table 2.
Meta-regression of the studied factors on early childhood caries (ECC) preference in Hong Kong
| Factor | Coefficient | 95% confidence interval | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development Index (HDI) | −0.743 | (−1.186 , −0.301) | .001 |
| Water fluoridation | −0.312 | (−0.438, −0.186) | <.001 |
| Territory-wide oral health promotion | −0.225 | (−0.343, −0.107) | <.001 |
| Establishment of dental school to train dentist | −0.312 | (−0.438 ,−0.186) | <.001 |
| Provision of 9-year free education | −0.312 | (−0.438, −0.186) | <.001 |
| Dental workforce (dentist-to-population ratio) | −901.808 | (−1755.736 ,−47.880) | .038 |
| Gross domestic product (GDP) growth | 0.007 | (−0.016, 0.029) | .568 |